Dynamic Modeling, Parameter Identification and Numerical Analysis of Flexible Cables in Flexibly Connected Dual-AUV Systems

TL;DR

This paper develops a dynamic modeling and parameter identification framework for highly nonlinear flexible cables in dual-AUV systems, enabling accurate prediction of cable behavior under complex conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a lumped mass-based modeling approach combined with experimental data for parameter identification, addressing measurement difficulties and capturing nonlinear cable dynamics.

Findings

Identified model maintains predictive accuracy across various conditions.

Flexible cable exhibits significant nonlinear behaviors, including slack and taut states.

Dynamic properties depend on material and motion conditions, affecting system design.

Abstract

This research presents a dynamic modeling framework and parameter identification methods for describing the highly nonlinear behaviors of flexibly connected dual-AUV systems. The modeling framework is established based on the lumped mass method, integrating axial elasticity, bending stiffness, added mass and hydrodynamic forces, thereby accurately capturing the time-varying response of the forces and cable configurations. To address the difficulty of directly measuring material-related and hydrodynamic coefficients, this research proposes a parameter identification method that combines the physical model with experimental data. High-precision inversion of the equivalent Youngs modulus and hydrodynamic coefficients is performed through tension experiments under multiple configurations, effectively demonstrating that the identified model maintains predictive consistency in various operational conditions. Further numerical analysis indicates that the dynamic properties of flexible cable exhibit significant nonlinear characteristics, which are highly dependent on material property variations and AUV motion conditions. This nonlinear dynamic behavior results in two typical response states, slack and taut, which are jointly determined by boundary conditions and hydrodynamic effects, significantly affecting the cable configuration and endpoint loads. In this research, the dynamics of flexible cables under complex boundary conditions is revealed, providing a theoretical foundation for the design, optimization and further control research of similar systems.